Patricia Ellis (born Patricia Gene O'Brien; died March 26, 1970) was an American

film actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...

of the 1930s.

Early years

Born in

Birmingham, Michigan Birmingham is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit located along the Woodward Corridor ( M-1). As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103. History The area comprising what is now the c ...

, most likely in 1915 (although she gave her year of birth to the Social Security Administration as 1920), Ellis was the eldest of four children born to Eugene Gladstone O'Brien, a Detroit insurance salesman, and his wife, Florence Calkins. Her parents divorced in 1929. She was later known as Patricia Leftwich after her step-father, Alexander Leftwich, "an eminent New York producer of musical shows." She had a step-brother, Alexander Leftwich Jr. Her childhood activities included singing and dancing, and she reportedly studied French and German. A 1932 newspaper article said, "Since she was able to walk, Patricia has been familiar with the world of the theater, accompanying her father constantly to rehearsals and performances." That same year, another newspaper reported, "She understudied all her father's leading women in the last few years, assisted him with lighting and costuming, and knows stage production, too." Patricia Leftwich attended Brantwood Hall School and Gardner School for Girls, and began her stage career after leaving school. She took classes in studio facilities while pursuing her acting career.

Stage

Ellis appeared with Chamberlain Brown's stock company at

Mount Vernon, New York Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is an inner suburb of New York City, immediately to the north of the Borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx. As of t ...

, and at the Riviera Theater, New York City.

Film

Given a film test while appearing on stage in New York City, Ellis was put under contract by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

In 1932, she had two small parts, both uncredited, in the films ''

Three on a Match ''Three on a Match'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama released by Warner Bros. The film was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and stars Joan Blondell, Warren William, Ann Dvorak and Bette Davis. The film also features Lyle Talbot, Humphrey Boga ...

'' and ''Central Park''. That same year, she was one of 14 girls chosen as

WAMPAS Baby Stars The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the United States Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers, which honored 13 (15 in 1932) young actresses each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. ...

; Ellis was the youngest. Her first credited role was in the 1933 film ''

The King's Vacation ''The King's Vacation'' is a 1933 American pre-Code romance film starring George Arliss and Marjorie Gateson and directed by John G. Adolfi. The supporting cast features Dick Powell, Patricia Ellis, Florence Arliss, Dudley Digges and O. P. Heg ...

'', starring

George Arliss George Arliss (born Augustus George Andrews; 10 April 1868 – 5 February 1946) was an English actor, author, playwright, and filmmaker who found success in the United States. He was the first British actor to win an Academy Award – which he ...

and

Marjorie Gateson Marjorie Augusta Gateson (January 17, 1891 – April 17, 1977) was an American stage and film actress. Biography Gateson was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Augusta and Daniel Gateson. Her maternal grandfather and brother were clergymen; So ...

. After that film, her career took off, with her starring mostly in lower-budget

B movies A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

, but still working steadily. She had roles in eight films in 1933, co-starring that year with

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

in ''

Picture Snatcher ''Picture Snatcher'' is a 1933 American pre-code drama film starring James Cagney as a gangster who decides to quit to pursue his dream. Plot After getting out of prison, Danny Kean (James Cagney) shocks the gang he leads by quitting. He wants ...

'', and in another seven in 1934. She started 1935 off with ''A Night at the Ritz'', in which she had the lead female role, opposite

William Gargan William Dennis Gargan (July 17, 1905February 17, 1979) was an American film, television and radio actor. He was the 5th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1967, and in 1941, was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...

. She starred in seven films that year and another seven in 1936. Starring alongside some of Hollywood's biggest names, including James Cagney,

Ricardo Cortez Ricardo Cortez (born Jacob Kranze or Jacob Krantz; September 19, 1900 – April 28, 1977) was an American actor and film director. He was also credited as Jack Crane early in his acting career. Early years Ricardo Cortez was born Jacob K ...

, and

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...

, Ellis's career was at its peak by 1937. Most of her roles were in

comedy films A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

, along with some mysteries and

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

s, and by 1936, she was playing the female lead in almost all her films. She starred in five films that year, then only three in 1938, and finally just two in 1939.

Singing

After her work in film, Ellis ventured into music, saying, "I was just getting into a rut in Hollywood. ... I want to start a new career -- singing." She made a

soundie Soundies are three-minute American musical films, and each short displays a performance. The shorts were produced between 1940 and 1946 and have been referred to as "precursors to music videos" by UCLA. Soundies exhibited a variety of musical gen ...

in 1941. A review in the trade publication ''Billboard'' commented: "Miss Ellis isn't bad on voice and excells (sic) on appearance. Men will pay attention to her." In 1941, she and

Henny Youngman Henry "Henny" Youngman (16 March 1906 – 24 February 1998) was a British-born American comedian and musician famous for his mastery of the " one-liner", his best known being "Take my wife... please". In a time when many comedians told ela ...

headlined with Blue Barron and his Orchestra at Hamid's Pier in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

. She appeared on Broadway in ''Louisiana Purchase'', a musical comedy.

Personal life

Ellis retired in 1939, leaving Hollywood behind. On July 12, 1941, she married George T. O'Maley, a successful businessman from

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

. She settled into private life, raising her family in Kansas City. The O'Maleys had one daughter.

Death

Ellis remained married to O'Maley for the remainder of her life, dying of colon cancerDeath certificate for Patricia O'Maley, giving year of birth as 1920
findagrave.com; accessed October 3, 2021. on March 26, 1970 in

.U.S. Social Security Death Index
accessed May 6, 2017. She was

cremated Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1932) - Linda * ''

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...

'' (1932) - Vivian (uncredited) * ''

Lawyer Man ''Lawyer Man'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by William Dieterle, based on the novel by Max Trell. The film stars William Powell and Joan Blondell. It was produced by Warner Bros. By the time of the release, several actors we ...

'' (1932) - Law Secretary (uncredited) * ''

'' (1933) - Millicent Everhardt * '' 42nd Street'' (1933) - Secretary (uncredited) * ''

Elmer, the Great ''Elmer, the Great'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Joe E. Brown and Patricia Ellis. Plot Elmer Kane (Joe E. Brown) is a rookie ballplayer with the Chicago Cubs whose ego is matched only by his appeti ...

'' (1933) - Nellie Poole * ''

'' (1933) - Patricia Nolan * '' The Narrow Corner'' (1933) - Louise Frith * ''

The World Changes ''The World Changes'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Paul Muni as an ambitious farm boy who becomes rich, but does not handle success well. Aline MacMahon and Mary Astor play his mother and wife resp ...

'' (1933) - Natalie Clinton Nordholm * ''

Convention City ''Convention City'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code sex comedy film directed by Archie Mayo, and starring Joan Blondell, Guy Kibbee, Dick Powell, Mary Astor and Adolphe Menjou. The film was produced by Henry Blanke and First Nati ...

'' (1933) - Claire Honeywell * '' Easy to Love'' (1934) - Janet * ''

Harold Teen ''Harold Teen'' is a discontinued, long-running American comic strip written and drawn by Carl Ed (pronounced "eed"). Publisher Joseph Medill Patterson may have suggested and certainly approved the strip's concept, loosely based on Booth Tarkingt ...

'' (1934) - Mimi Snatcher * ''

Let's Be Ritzy ''Let's Be Ritzy'' is a 1934 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Edward Ludwig and written by Harry Sauber and Earle Snell. The film stars Lew Ayres, Patricia Ellis, Isabel Jewell, Frank McHugh, Berton Churchill and Robert McWade. The film ...

'' (1934) - Ruth Sterling * ''

Affairs of a Gentleman ''Affairs of a Gentleman'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Edwin L. Marin and written by Cyril Hume, Peter Ruric and Milton Krims, adapted from the play by Edith Ellis and Edward Ellis (actor). The film stars Paul Lukas, Leila ...

'' (1934) - Jean Sinclair * ''

Here Comes the Groom ''Here Comes the Groom'' is a 1951 American musical romantic comedy film produced and directed by Frank Capra and starring Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman. Based on a story by Robert Riskin and Liam O'Brien, the film is about a foreign correspondent w ...

'' (1934) - Patricia Randolph * ''

The Circus Clown ''The Circus Clown'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code comedy film about a man who wants to join the circus against the wishes of his ex-circus clown father. It stars Joe E. Brown and Patricia Ellis. Plot Young Happy Howard (Joe E. Brown) has been se ...

'' (1934) - Alice * '' Side Streets'' (1934) - Mary Thatcher (scenes deleted) * ''

Big Hearted Herbert ''Big Hearted Herbert'' is a 1934 domestic comedy film starring Aline MacMahon and Guy Kibbee as a middle-aged couple. It is based on the Broadway play of the same name by Sophie Kerr and Anna Steese Richardson, which was in turn based on the sh ...

'' (1934) - Alice Kainess * ''

The St. Louis Kid ''The St. Louis Kid'' is a 1934 drama film directed by Ray Enright and starring James Cagney. Plot A truck driver A truck driver (commonly referred to as a trucker, teamster, or driver in the United States and Canada; a truckie in Austr ...

'' (1934) - Ann Reid * ''

A Night at the Ritz ''A Night at the Ritz'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by William C. McGann and starring William Gargan, Patricia Ellis and Allen Jenkins.Gledhill p.36 The art direction was by Esdras Hartley. The film is of interest because the storylin ...

'' (1935) - Marcia Jaynos * ''

While the Patient Slept ''While the Patient Slept'' is a 1935 comedy murder mystery film directed by Ray Enright starring Aline MacMahon as a nurse/crime sleuth and Guy Kibbee as her boyfriend and police detective. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Mig ...

'' (1935) - March * ''

Hold 'Em Yale ''Hold 'Em Yale'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield and written by Damon Runyon, Paul Gerard Smith, and Eddie Welch. The film stars Patricia Ellis, Cesar Romero, Buster Crabbe, William Frawley, Andy Devine, and George B ...

'' (1935) - Clarice Van Cleve * '' Stranded'' (1935) - Velma Tuthill * ''

Bright Lights Bright Lights may refer to: Film and television * ''Bright Lights'' (1916 film), a silent short starring Fatty Arbuckle * ''Bright Lights'' (1925 film), an MGM film starring Charles Ray and directed by Robert Z. Leonard * ''Bright Lights'' (1928 ...

'' (1935) - Claire Whitmore * ''

The Case of the Lucky Legs ''The Case of the Lucky Legs'' is a 1935 mystery film, the third in a series of Perry Mason films starring Warren William as the famed lawyer. Plot Margie Clune wins the "Lucky Legs" beauty contest concocted by Frank Patton, but has trouble col ...

'' (1935) - Margie Florence Clune * '' The Payoff'' (1935) - Connie * ''

Freshman Love ''Freshman Love'' is a 1936 sound film based on George Ade's oft filmed 1904 play '' The College Widow'', adaptations of which were filmed twice previously, in 1915 and 1927, and parodied by the Marx Brothers in their 1932 film ''Horse Feathers''. ...

'' (1936) - Joan Simpkins * ''

Boulder Dam #REDIRECT Hoover Dam Boulder Dam #REDIRECT Hoover Dam Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1 ...

'' (1936) - Ann Vangarick * ''

Snowed Under ''Snowed Under'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by Ray Enright and starring George Brent as a playwright who is working under a tight deadline. He becomes snowed-in in his remote cabin with two ex-wives and a girlfriend, played ...

'' (1936) - Pat Quinn * ''

Postal Inspector Postal inspector may refer to: * The United States Postal Inspection Service (or USPIS), the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service * ''Postal Inspector'', a 1936 American film directed by Otto Brower See also * The Inspectors (TV ...

'' (1936) - Connie Larrimore * ''

Love Begins at 20 ''Love Begins at 20'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Frank McDonald (director), Frank McDonald and written by Dalton Trumbo and Tom Reed, based on the 1929 play ''Broken Dishes'' by Martin Flavin. The film stars Hugh Herbert, Patricia ...

'' (1936) - Lois Gillingwater * '' Down the Stretch'' (1936) - Patricia Barrington * ''

Sing Me a Love Song ''Sing Me a Love Song'' is a 1936 American musical film directed by Ray Enright and written by Sig Herzig and Jerry Wald. The film stars James Melton, Patricia Ellis, Hugh Herbert, ZaSu Pitts, Allen Jenkins and Nat Pendleton. The Warner Bros. fil ...

'' (1936) - Jean Martin * ''

Step Lively, Jeeves! ''Step Lively, Jeeves!'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Eugene Forde, written by Frank Fenton and Lynn Root, and starring Arthur Treacher as P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves alongside Patricia Ellis, Robert Kent, Alan Dinehart, George Gi ...

'' (1937) - Patricia Westley * ''

Melody for Two ''Melody for Two'' is a 1937 American musical film directed by Louis King and starring James Melton, Patricia Ellis and Marie Wilson. The film is notable for introducing the song "September in the Rain", which subsequently became a pop standard ...

'' (1937) - Gale Starr * ''

Venus Makes Trouble ''Venus Makes Trouble'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Gordon Wiles and starring James Dunn, Patricia Ellis and Astrid Allwyn. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures as a second feature. Synopsis The plot revolves a ...

'' (1937) - Kay Horner * ''

Rhythm in the Clouds ''Rhythm in the Clouds'' is a 1937 American film directed by John H. Auer. Plot Struggling songwriter Judy Walker gets two hours notice to vacate her room. In frustration, she accidentally spills "ink eraser" on her latest rejection letter, wh ...

'' (1937) - Judy Walker * '' Paradise for Two'' (1937) - Jeannette DuPont * ''

The Lady in the Morgue ''The Lady in the Morgue'' (1936) is one of the novels by Jonathan Latimer featuring private detective William Crane. The lady of the title is a female corpse which is stolen from a Chicago morgue before the dead woman's identity can be establish ...

'' (1938) - Kathryn Courtland aka Mrs. Sam Taylor * ''

Romance on the Run ''Romance on the Run'' is a 1938 American comedy crime film directed by Gus Meins and starring Donald Woods and Patricia Ellis. Plot A very expensive necklace known as the "Czarina's Tears" is stolen from Phelps' jewelry shop. The next morni ...

(1938) - Dale Harrison * ''

Block-Heads ''Block-Heads'' is a 1938 comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. It was produced by Hal Roach Studios for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film, a reworking of elements from the Laurel and Hardy shorts ''We Fa ...

'' (1938) (with

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

) - Mrs. Gilbert * ''

Back Door to Heaven ''Back Door to Heaven'' is a 1939 American crime drama film directed by William K. Howard and starring Wallace Ford, Aline MacMahon, Stuart Erwin and Patricia Ellis. Plot The story revolves around a delinquent boy later to become a convict, ...

'' (1939) - Carol Evans * ''

Fugitive at Large ''Fugitive at Large'' is a 1939 American crime film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Jack Holt, Patricia Ellis and Stanley Fields.Slide p.121 Cast * Jack Holt as Tom Farrow / George Storm * Patricia Ellis as Patricia Farrow * Stanl ...

'' (1939) - Patricia Farrow (final film role)

References

External links

*
Patricia Ellis biodata
imdb.com; accessed October 3, 2021.
Patricia Ellis profile
virtual-history.com; accessed October 3, 2021.
Patricia Ellis (using her birth name Patricia Gene O'Brien), July 12, 1941 marriage certificate

Patricia Ellis O'Brien "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957"
* Evidence supporting 1918 birth year:
1. 1920 US Census Data for Patricia O'Brien, daughter of Eugene and Florence O'Brien, Detroit, Michigan (Patricia Ellis's birthplace, Birmingham, Wayne County, is a suburb of Detroit, Michigan).
2
"Patricia Ellis Feels No Older As She Turns 21", Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), June 15, 1939, p. 20.
br> 3
"Marriage Revealed by Patricia Ellis", Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan), July 15, 1941, p. 4.
br> 4
USS Roma ship manifest, arriving New York October 1, 1937, listed passenger Patricia Ellis O'Brien, age 19, as born May 20, 1918, Detroit, Michigan, and living in Beverly Hills, California.
br> 5
"Hollywood's Youngest Leading Lady" St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri), April 10, 1935, p. 37.
br> 6
"Only 17, But Going Places" Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio), December 8, 1935, p. 100.
br> 7
"Patricia Ellis Weds in East", Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California), July 15, 1941, p. 23
br> 8
"Pat's Pal, 'Banksy'" by Jeremy Asher, Modern Screen, April, 1936, pp. 20-21, 114
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Patricia American film actresses Actresses from Michigan Warner Bros. contract players WAMPAS Baby Stars 20th-century American actresses 1970 deaths Year of birth uncertain Deaths from colorectal cancer Deaths from cancer in Missouri People from Birmingham, Michigan